Stage names:

Mihogi Gizaemon II
Fujimatsu Sanjûrô I
Mihogi Fujimatsu

Other name:

Kataoka Nizaemon VI

Guilds: Tomimasuya, Takasagoya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry names: Sotô, Shirô

Existence: 1731 ~ 15th day of the 9th lunar month of 1789 ^[1]

Connection:

Master: Mihogi Shichitarô

Career:

1731 ~ 1757: he started his career in miyaji shibai as a disciple of the Mihogi Shichitarô, performing under the name of Mihogi Fujimatsu.

11th lunar month of 1757: he became tachiyaku.

1st lunar month of 1758: first Kabuki adaptation of the 5 acts puppet theater drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki", which was simultaneously produced at the Minamigawa no Shibai [casting] and the Kitagawa no Shibai [casting]. It used its real title at the former theater but it was entitled "Keisei Niwatoriyama" at the latter theater; Fujimatsu played in the latter theater the roles of Yoshiteru and Shibata Katsumasa.

End of 1759: he took the name of Fujimatsu Sanjûrô I.

6th lunar month of 1770: Namiki Shôzô I's drama "Yadonashi Danshichi Shigure no Karakasa" was staged for the first time in Ôsaka ôshibai, at the Kado no Shibai; Sanjûrô played the role of Wataya Tokuemon [casting].

3rd ~ 5th lunar months of 1771: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin", produced by Mimasu Tokujirô I at the Kitagawa no Shibai; Sanjûrô played the roles of Fujiwara no Tankai and Motome [casting].

11th lunar month of 1771: Sanjûrô played at the Minamigawa no Shibai the roles of Minamoto no Yorinobu and the wakatô Tamisuke in the kaomise drama "Bandai Isaoshi Genji", which was produced by Arashi Sanjûrô II.

1st lunar month of 1772: Sanjûrô played in the same theater the role of Hosokawa Katsuie in the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Sakura Goten".

11th lunar month of 1776: Fujimatsu Sanjûrô I took the name of Mihogi Gizaemon II in Kyôto, playing the role of Shinraku Jûnai in the kaomise drama "Oso Uji Yodo no Irifune", which was produced by Matsuyama Kogenji.

1st lunar month of 1777: premiere at the Kitagawa no Shibai of the drama "Keisei Tonoi Zakura", whose plot was very close to Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa"; Gizaemon played the roles of Karaki Masaemon and Wada Yukie [casting].

End of the 11th lunar month of 1779 ~ 1st lunar month of 1780: Gizaemon played at the Kado no Shibai the role of Ôboshi Yuranosuke in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the roles of Kô no Moronô and En'ya Hangan were played by Yamamoto Giemon and Ogawa Kichitarô I.

12th lunar month of 1781: premiere in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai of Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Tengajaya-mura" [casting]. A similar play was staged a few days later under a different title, "Renga Chaya Homare no Bundai", at the Naka no Shibai. The competition for the best performance and the best line-up was open between the 2 theaters; Gizaemon played at the Naka no Shibai the role of Ningyôya Kôemon [casting].

1st lunar month of 1782: the play "Tengajaya-mura" was staged for the first time in Kyôto, at the Kitagawa no Shibai; Gizaemon played the roles of Tôma Saburôemon and Yasuke [casting].

9th lunar month of 1783: the play "Igagoe Dôchû Sugoroku" was adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Gizaemon played the roles of Karaki Masaemon and Wada Yukie [casting].

1st lunar month of 1784: Gizaemon's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent) [visual].

5th lunar month of 1784: première in ôshibai, in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai, of the gidayû kyôgen "Yura no Minato Sengen Chôja"; Gizaemon played the roles of Yamaoka Gonroku and Iwaki Hangan Masauji [casting].

11th lunar month of 1786: Gizaemon played at the Naka no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Neko Shakkyô Fûki no Hanabusa", which celebrated the shûmei of Nakayama Bungorô I.

7th lunar month of 1789: premiere at the Kado no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I and Chikamatsu Tokusô drama "Kanjin Kanmon Tekuda no Hajimari"; Gizaemon played the role of Numazu Chishima-no-Kami [more details]. It was Gizaemon's last appearance on stage.

15th day of the 9th lunar month of 1789 ^[1]: Gizaemon died in Ôsaka.

Comments:

Mihogi Gizaemon II was a tachiyaku actor, who achieved fame for himself in Kamigata during the second half of the 18th century. This small-sized actor, endowed with a great voice, excelled in budôgoto and jitsugoto. As he was the heir of Kataoka Nizaemon I's disciple Mihogi Gizaemon I (he was in fact the disciple of Mihogi Gizaemon I's grandson), he posthumously received the prestigious name of Kataoka Nizaemon VI.

[1] The 15th day of the 9th lunar month of the 1st year of the Kansei era was the 2nd of November 1789 in the western calendar.

Mihogi Gizaemon II in an illustration from the book "Santo Yakusha Omokage Zukushi", which was published in Ôsaka by Yamatoya Kaemon in 1784

Prints & Illustrations

The Fujimatsu Sanjûrô line of actors

The Mihogi Gizaemon line of actors

The Kataoka Nizaemon line of actors